The Window of Destiny
by DragonSlayer2187
Summary: This is about how one encounter with a certain somebody opened me up to my destiny. Hello my name is Azumi Yamamoto and this is my story of how I became a member of SPR with my friend Mai, solved the supernatural, and fell in love.
1. Chapter One: A Chance Encounter

**_Disclaimer:_**_I do not own Ghost Hunt that privilege belongs to Inada Shiho and Ono Fuyumi. I am just borrowing the characters for a while and playing with them._

_Thoughts_

'_Telepathy speak'_

"English"

_'__Ghost Talking'_

**Chapter One: A Chance Encounter**

I sleepily opened my eyes, before closing them again and shooting out my left hand to smack the top of my black alarm clock that was sitting on my coffee-bean-colored bedside table. The annoying shrieking stopped and I snuggled my head back into my soft royal blue pillow, while wrapping my red comforter with black designs tighter around my body.

I just laid there, with my eyes closed, for a few minutes listening to the noise coming from the busy streets of Shibuya, Tokyo. Bringing up a hand I rubbed my eyes, trying to work out the fuzziness before opening my eyes to the dim grey light of my bedroom. Seeing that everything was in perfect focus, I moved my head to the right and took in the glowing green numbers on my alarm clock, 6:45 a.m., it read. I guess I should get up and start getting ready, I promised Mai I would get to her house at 7:45 so we can walk to school together.

Slowly I sat up and leaned my hot pink tank top covered torso against my headboard, while throwing off my warm blankets. Looking around my room I gave a sigh and swung my legs over the edge of my bed, turning my body so I was just sitting on the edge and letting my feet dangle. Bring my arms over my head I locked my hands together and stretched out my back, giving a sigh of relief as several pops and cracks sounded out in the silent room. Having now stretched, I felt more awake than I did earlier and slid off my bed, my bare feet landing on the cold dark floor.

"Oh, that's cold," I hissed as a shiver went up my spine.

_Note to self, buy a rug to put down beside the bed, so I don't go through a cold shock every morning,_ I thought to myself as I padded toward the bathroom that connected to my room. This was my first night to spend in my new apartment and because I was so tired from unpacking everything and putting it in its place; I totally forgot I had thrown my shoes in the middle of the floor. Unfortunately this resulted in me stubbing my toe on one of those shoes.

"Ow, son of a bitch," I yelled, hopping around on my good right foot while cradling my injured left foot with both hands.

Being more focused on my throbbing toe, I totally missed my discarded white long-sleeved school shirt that was laying not two feet away from said shoe, this led to my good foot getting tangled up in it and making me fall face first toward the floor. I released my injured foot with a yelp, just in time to catch myself with the palms of my hands. This stopped my face from hitting the floor, but not the rest of my body. All the air that had been in my lungs, left in a big whoosh, as my whole body landed harshly against the unforgiving hardwood. This pushed my hands out and I now had my right cheek pressed against the cool floor, while I just laid there stunned for a few minutes. My mind then processed that I had no air and my lungs began to try to take in as much as possible causing me to choke and gasp. I am sure I looked like a fish out of water, but I needed air. Once my lungs felt full and I wasn't choking or gasping a loud groan filled the room.

Tentatively I pushed myself up till I was on all fours and my shoulder-length dirty-blond hair dangled on both sides of my vision. Wincing I stopped there as my lower back and ribs gave a scream of protest. _Oh that is going to leave a mark,_ I gasped as I tried to breathe past the pain.

Finally the pain lessened to something I could tolerate and pushed myself up into a kneeling position. I could still feel a thrumming pain from my ribs, but my toe was also sending shooting pains up my foot. Trying to ignore it I stood up as slow as possible and gazed down at my abused body. I had stubbed my left toe so bad that blood was actually forming underneath my toenail. Ignoring it I brought up my right hand and started poking and prodding around my ribs. I gave a gasp as I landed on a particular sore spot, which sent daggers of pain across my abdomen. _I don't think anything broke or fractured, but they are definitely bruised,_at least that was my diagnosis. Not wanting to waste a trip to the doctor's office for them to tell me the same thing, I just limped as fast as I could toward my bathroom door.

Once in the bathroom I flipped on the light switch, my eyes squinted as the bright light flooded the room. The hardwood floor turned into a beige tile with veins of silver at the doorway. The walls were a light grey color, which matched the tile just perfect. A shower stood in the corner across from the door. Along the wall next to the shower a Jacuzzi tub sat with a shelf all the way around it, so I could put candles or set down anything I brought in with me while I soaked. Both the shower and tube had silver fixtures.

On my left, just as you entered the room, sat a sink with a beige granite counter top to match the tiles and the same silver fixtures as the tub and shower. Above the sink an oval mirror hung on the wall for me to look into as I did my hair and make-up, not that I wear much make-up.

I hobbled over to the dark brown cabinet and opened both doors before rummaging around for a bottle of Advil. I would need it if I wanted to survive the day. Giving a triumphed yell I took the bottle and popped two pills out, before setting it to the front of my medicine shelf. I grabbed the glass I kept on the counter and filled it with water before popping the two magical pills. Once I finished, I grabbed a towel, stripped, and hopped in the shower.

I knew I didn't have enough time to try to let the hot water soothe my aching muscles, so I just hurried up and washed my body and hair. I dried off and wrapped the towel around my body before limping over to the sink.

I got out my blow dryer and hairbrush. I set the hairbrush on the counter, but plugged in the blow dryer and started drying my thick mass of hair. I finished drying it in five minutes and then ran my brush through it, before bringing up the left side of my hair into a small bun on the back left side of my head. I grabbed a red ribbon and tied it up into a bow; taking some bobby bins I shoved those in certain areas to make sure my hair didn't fall out. I than repeated the same process on the right side. Finishing up I unplugged my blow dryer and put it back in the drawer. Then I grabbed my tooth-brush and tooth-paste to begin brushing my teeth.

As I spit out the tooth paste I glanced at my reflection in the mirror. My forest green eyes stared back at me and I could make out the bags under my eyes from the few nights of restless sleep. _I will have to take some Advil pm tonight if I want a good night's sleep,_ I told myself, as I scanned my heart-shaped face and fair skin for anything else out-of-place. Finding nothing I took out my light pink lip gloss and applied it to my plump pink kissable lips. _Sure they're kissable, but nobody has tried that yet, so maybe not so much._ I gave a snort at my sad sarcastic inner thought.

Emerging from the bathroom half ready to start the day, I hobbled as quickly as I could over to my closet. Glancing over at my alarm clock I saw the numbers read 7:15. I didn't have much time left to get ready. _I guess I will be skipping breakfast._A sour thought, for my stomach decided to make itself known at that time. _Maybe if I hurry I can stop at Aimi's coffee shop on my way to Mai's house,_ I pondered as I slid open my closet door.

I reached in and grabbed a clean school uniform. This consisted of a mid-thigh black skirt and long-sleeved white blouse, with black and white striped cuffs on the ends of the sleeves and black collar that buttoned halfway between the bottom of my neck and start of my chest. It then had red ribbon you tied into a bow where the collar came together. Grabbing my favorite belt, made up of many looping chains that went down over the skirt and jingled as I walked; I slowly made my way over to my dresser and opened the top drawer grabbing a pair of black panties and white bra.

Undoing the towel wrapped around my body, I put on the bra and panties, and then the skirt, followed by the shirt. Tucking the shirt into the top of my skirt I then threaded my belt through the loops and made sure the chains hung between the loops, so it would jingle. Finished with that I opened up the second drawer on my dresser and pulled out a pair of knee-high black socks. I started to make my way to the bed before stopping and picking up my black shoes that had caused my pain this morning. Turning around I sat down on it and put on my socks, the left sock was painful as it brushed over my sore toe, but with a few chosen cuss words I managed.

It was then I glared at my black shoes sitting innocently on my right side on the bed. I was not looking forward to this next part, but I needed to hurry, so giving a sigh of resignation I grabbed the left shoe and shoved it on my foot. "OW!" I screamed as my toe hit the side of the shoe and then dragged down until it was on my foot all the way.

"Ahh shit that hurt. Damn shoe, Damn toe!" I grumbled as I grabbed the right shoe and put it on without the drama. My left toe still felt like somebody was sticking red-hot needles into it.

With a sigh I got up and almost fell down as I put weight on my left foot. "Damn!" I grumbled as I grabbed on to the edge of the bed to keep from falling down. The pain had now intensified till my whole foot was throbbing instead of my toe_. I hope the Advil kicks in soon,_I prayed. Trying once again to walk, I found I could if I only put the weight on my heel. With this I hobbled out my door and down the hallway. I slowly made my way past the guest bedroom, which I had turned into my library/study room, and the guest bathroom. It seemed the more I walked the less pain I was in, but that could also be because my pain medication was finally taking effect. It didn't matter for by the time I made it to the end of the hallway I didn't feel any pain at all. Smiling at my luck I then walked out of the hallway and into a large open area.

On my right was a kitchen/dining room area and on my left sat the living room area. The dining room held a cherry stained oak table that sat four people. A window sat in the living room above a black couch and was streaming in beautiful sunshine.

Wondering what time it was now, I looked up at the clock that sat right beside the door and gasped at the time. I had fifteen minutes to get out of the house and to Mai's. I quickly ran over to the table and grabbed my black and silver watch off of it and put it on as I ran for the door.

Grabbing my blue messenger bag off the hook next to the door, I opened the door and ran out of my apartment, quickly shutting the door and locking it behind me. I made sure I put my key in the front pocket of my bag, as I took off running down the one flight of stairs of my two-story apartment complex and out to the already busy sidewalk.

I ran all the way to Aimi's coffee shop, only stopping when the building came into view. Glancing at my watch I saw I had saved myself five minutes, this left me enough time to grab something to eat and drink. At the thought of a sixteen ounce French Vanilla Iced Coffee and a piece of coffee cake, saliva collected in my mouth and I had to sallow to keep from drooling.

I was almost to the coffee shop when I realized I hadn't checked my bag to make sure I had grabbed all of my homework and books. Giving a sigh of annoyance I grabbed my bag and started rustling through it to make sure I didn't forget anything. I was so busy checking that I wasn't watching where I was going. I gave a small yelp as I felt my head collide with somebody's body.

Startled, I dropped my bag, which fell to my side and bumped into my thigh painfully, but I ignored it as I bowed and started apologizing without looking up, "I am so sorry. I wasn't paying attention to where I was going, please forgive me." At the end I stood up and felt my eyes widen as they locked with a pair of the most beautiful azure eyes I had ever seen.

Even though his eyes are what captured my attention first I soon noticed the rest of his face. Black messy hair hung down over his ears with some of the fringe over his eyes. His face was very lean and angular, with pale, but healthy skin. My gaze wandered to his mouth and met a pair of thin pale pink lips, which still managed to look kissable. Above, said kissable lips, sat a straight and narrow nose that fit with his face. All in all it seemed like a Greek God had decided to walk among the living. I hadn't even realized that I was staring until his voice broke me out of it.

"I wasn't watching where I was going either." His voice had a deep rich tone to it and soothed my fried nerves.

He had a frown on his face, which totally took away the soothing tone of his voice and his eyes gleamed with unspoken annoyance, but underneath that I saw pain and sadness of having lost someone. Feeling awkward and a little uncomfortable I tried to give a smile before bowing once again and saying, "Thank you for your forgiveness and please excuse my rudeness, but I do need to get going. Please, have a nice day and I hope to see you again, hopefully without running into you." I straighten up from my bow and hurried around him toward the coffee shop that was only a few feet away.

I didn't hear anything else and thought, _how rude,_ as I slipped in through the front door of Aimi's coffee shop to escape my embarrassment. "Oh, good morning to you Azumi-chan," the owner, Aimi Fujii, cheerfully greeted as I walked in.

Giving a slight bow, I replied back in a forced cheerful voice, "Good morning to you too Aimi-chan."

Aimi had been good friends with my mother ever since they were little and had also known my grandparents. She had married around the same time as my parents, but her husband and her were unable to have kids. She had offered to take me in after my grandmother died, but I declined as I had plenty of money to survive and didn't want to get in the way of them adopting a child someday. To try to help out in some small way she often give me a discount on my orders, she had tried to give them to me free, but I had thrown a fit and told her if she did that I would never stop in, so she went with the discount instead. Granted I still didn't stop in very much. The only time was if I was running late, which didn't happen often.

"What can I get for you this morning?" Aimi asked already moving to get a cup.

"You know me, the usual." I replied.

She gave a nod before going about getting my order. I leaned against the counter, as there were no other people there and turned my gaze out the window watching the boy I had run into now standing next to a black van. Making sure he couldn't see me, I took a better look at him. He stood a good foot taller than me, but looked about the same age as I, which was seventeen. His body was lean with some muscle, as I remember his chest being quite hard, instead of squishy. The strange thing I did notice was that he dressed completely in black. A black tie, black long-sleeved button up dress shirt, black belt, black dress slacks, and black dress shoes; in fact the only color I could find anywhere on his outfit was the silver clasp on his belt buckle. _Wonder if he is going to a funeral today._ I mused to myself. I then spotted a black notebook in his hands. He seemed very intent in whatever he was reading as he didn't even see the taller and older looking man approach him from behind the van. He didn't acknowledge him until he said something, which then turned into a conversation between the two.

This new man wore a white dress shirt, black suit jacket, and black dress slacks. His black hair was longer than the boy's, and on the left side of his face, he had bangs that went all the way down to his chin. The conversation seemed to heat up as the new guy kept gesturing toward the van or the top floor above the coffee shop.

Wondering if they were the ones that had rented out the floor above I turned away from the argument and asked, "Hey Aimi-chan, who are the two men outside by the black van?"

Aimi stopped what she was doing for a split second to look out the window, before going on with mixing my drink and answering, "Oh they just rented the space above the shop a couple of days ago. I heard they are a ghost hunting group. I think the name is Shibuya Psychic Research." She finished my drink and set it down on the counter in front of me, along with a slice of coffee cake on a napkin.

"Wow that sounds interesting. I wonder if they get a lot of business," I thought out loud with my finger against my chin as I turned back to the window only to see the other man had left and the boy had now leaned his back against the van, once again reading his black binder.

"Well, I saw the principal of your school come out the door yesterday afternoon." Aimi stated as she rang my order up.

My eyes widened when she said my principal had been there and I automatically thought about the old school-house that was falling down. I passed it almost every day on my way to school. There were several rumors going around school about it being haunted, but I had never paid attention to them. I snapped out of it when Aimi chirped, "That will be 500 yen please."

Smiling I reached into the front pocket of my messenger bag and took out the right amount leaving a little tip for Aimi. "Thanks for the information Aimi-chan and the food," I said as I picked up my iced coffee and coffee cake, heading to the door.

"Any time and come again soon, I miss seeing you. Also make sure you have enough time to chat next time." I heard as I walked out the door, waving my coffee cup over my shoulder as acknowledgement.

Walking out the door and hearing it shut behind me I started to walk as quickly as I could to the corner. Taking a bite out of my coffee cake, I almost sighed in bliss at the explosion of cinnamon in my mouth. Just as I reached the corner I felt like somebody was staring at me. I looked up from my coffee cake and met the same pair of azure blue eyes from before. The boy I had been watching while in the coffee shop was now staring at me, _that's because I am gorgeous,_I thought, almost laughing out loud. As I looked closer at his eyes, all humor left me. The look he was giving me was filled with annoyance, mixed with some curiosity. A small shock went down my spine at that look being directed at me, but I didn't want to seem rude, so I nodded my head in greeting. He didn't even acknowledge me and went back to reading his notebook.

I snorted at the obvious brush off, but I still had an uneasy feeling, so I quickly moved my gaze away and turned right at the corner cutting off my view of him. I felt that our meeting was not by chance and that my life was about to change. I also got the feeling that Mai was going to come along for the ride and discover some things about herself and me that I would have liked to have kept buried. I guess the only reason it bugged me so much, was that my feelings no matter how small always seemed right. _I didn't want my life turned upside down, I liked it just the way it was._ I complained to myself. Then giving a sigh of aggravation, I thought, _should have known this would be a day to stay in bed the minute I stubbed my toe on the stupid shoe._

I had been so lost in thought that I hadn't even realized I had finished my coffee cake or that I was standing in front of Mai's door, until it flew open and she plowed right into me. I fell back into the iron railing that stopped me from a three-story drop and let out a pained, "Oomph," As my aching back and ribs let me know they still hadn't forgiven me for this morning.

Moving my eyes down I saw Mai had fallen down on her butt with her hands thrown back to stop her from sprawling out on her back. "Geez Mai-chan, what's the hurry?" I asked standing up and reaching out a hand for her to grab.

"Azumi-chan, I thought I was late meeting you so I was rushing," Mai explained as she took my hand with a grateful smile.

I pulled up with all my strength and Mai popped up like a jack in the box. Mai was a good inch shorter than I was with chin length coffee-colored hair and big cinnamon colored eyes. She always wore a smile and had a cheery disposition, but oh man did she have a temper. It wasn't bad most of the time, but be rude to her or one of her friends and watch out. It wasn't so much as she would hit you, but she would call you names and mumble about things she wanted to do to you. I loved her spunk and heart, even though she was a grade below me in high school, but she was the only one who understood my pain and I understood her's.

"Well, I am here now and no you weren't late," I said checking my watch to see I was right on time.

"I don't suppose you ate any breakfast?" I asked as Mai dusted off her skirt and then shook her head back and forth, to confirm my question.

"Here," I stated holding out my half-finished iced coffee in my right hand.

"Azumi-chan I couldn't take that. It's your breakfast," Mai protested holding up her hands and shaking them back and forth.

I grabbed her right hand with my free left hand and shoved the drink into hers making sure she had grabbed a hold of it, before letting go. "I already had a slice of coffee cake and half of that, I am full. You can have the rest."

"Thank you Azumi-chan." Mai grudgingly accepted the drink, knowing I wasn't going to give up.

"Come on let's go or we will be late for school." I said as I turned and started down the stairs.

I could hear the tapping of Mai's feet, along with the occasional slurp of her taking a drink, letting me know she had decided to follow me. Once we made it down the rest of the stairs, she caught up to me, so we were walking side by side.

"Azumi-chan, are you going to join Keiko-chan, Michiru-chan, and I in telling ghost stories after school today?" Mai asked as we started our ten minute walk to school.

I gazed off in front of us in deep thought before answering, "I suppose I can, if I don't have a lot of homework. I will find you right after class is over to let you know." I slid a side glance at her to see her finishing off the last of the iced coffee.

Seeing a garbage can ahead of us Mai ran to it and threw the empty cup away. Then turning around she waited for me with a smile on her face. As soon as I was level with her again she gave an enthusiastic response to my answer, "Sounds good to me." She then went on to tell me about what happened to one of her classmates and a cute boy in her class.

I only half listened to her as most of my thoughts focused once again on the guy I saw in front of Aimi's coffee shop, but what I did gleam from Mai's rambling was that this boy, Fumio, had asked one of her classmates out and during their date, her classmate got sick and ended up throwing up on the poor boy's shoes. Now the boy won't even talk to her classmate and avoids her like the plague. Mai thought it was very rude and I caught something about maybe tying him up and beating some sense into him. It was at that point I forgot all about the boy from earlier and started to laugh at her rant, as we turned the corner to the school grounds and went through the front doors of the school.

"Will I see you at lunch?" Mai asked as she opened her locker and took out her indoor shoes.

"Yeah, same place as usual?" I inquired before putting my outdoor shoes inside my locker and shutting it.

"Is it underneath that big cherry tree, in the front yard of the school?" Mai questioned as she finished putting on her shoes and closing her locker.

"Yep, I will see you then. I have to head off to class now," I stated and waved goodbye as I headed up the stairs, to start another boring day of school.

Mai also waved goodbye, before being swarmed by Keiko and Michiru as they dragged her down the hall and out of my sight. Shaking my head I continued my way up the stairs, only to meet up with another friend and classmate, Fukuda Shiori. We greeted each other and then continued on to our class talking about the lecture we would receive today about our test scores. All the while in the back of my mind I was thinking, _something big is going to happen today, I just know it._

**_Authors Note:_**_This is the first chapter of my story I hope you guys find it good so far as this is the first story I have ever done in first person. Please R&R, so I know what you think so far. I will take constructive criticism as that is the only way I will learn, but if you flame I will report you and erase your comment. I would like to thank my new beta reader, RaisedOnRadio, for helping me fix the things that were wrong with this chapter._


	2. Chapter Two: A Date and Ghost Stories

**_Disclaimer:_**_I do not own Ghost Hunt that privilege belongs to Inada Shiho and Ono Fuyumi. I am just borrowing the characters for a while and playing with them._

_Thoughts_

'_Telepathy'_

"English"

'_Ghost Talking'_

**Chapter Two: A Date and Ghost Stories**

I gave a sigh of relief as the bell rang, signaling the end of school. I got up with the rest of the class and started putting supplies and tonight's homework in my messenger bag. I grabbed my math book and just stood there glaring at it. I hoped to burn multiple holes in it, so I would have an excuse about why my assignment wasn't done.

For some reason my other subjects click right away and I have to hardly put any effort into it, but math is a whole different story. I have to do multiple problems with a new formula before anything clicks, but the great thing about that is once I figure it out I have no troubles afterward. It's just the beginning that really sucks and I end up wasting hours on new stuff, which could be better spent doing something else. Yep, math is not my favorite subject.

Snapping out of my daze I shoved the dreaded math textbook into my bag and closed it. I then grabbed my three other texts books off my table and weaved my way through the desks and students toward the classroom door. I sighed as I remembered where I had to go next. I cursed myself for telling Mai at lunch that I would come tell ghost stories with Keiko, Michiru, and her. I didn't think Tachibana-Sensei would give us a two page math assignment. _If we make it quick I shouldn't need to stay up too late to get it done. Besides I only have math, so I should have no problems,_ I thought to myself as I made my way out the classroom door and into the packed hallways.

I thanked my lucky stars that my locker was between my classroom and the stairs I would need to use to reach the first floor and Mai's classroom. I almost collided with one of my female classmates Shibata-san, but flattened myself up against the wall as she passed by with some equipment from the Audiovisual Room. She gave me a sheepish look as she passed by and I just gave her a small smile.

Finally I made it to my locker. I had just finished putting in the combination and had reached up to the latch to open it when I heard a very familiar shout, "Hey! Yamamoto-san!" I couldn't help the groan that left my lips.

Finishing opening my locker I turned my head to the right where the sound had come from. Striding toward me in his distance-eating walk was Oshiro, Takashi. He was the most popular boy in school, not to mention good-looking and overall sweet, but to me he was an annoying fly that just wouldn't leave me alone.

I turned back to my locker and began putting my books away, knowing he would reach me in a few minutes. I didn't even jump when he made it to my side and leaned against the lockers next to me, supporting himself with his right arm. The metal gave a small groan of protest at the extra weight, but he didn't seem to mind as his red-brown eyes gazed down at me with a happy and eager expression. Shutting my locker and putting on a smile, hoping it didn't look as fake as it felt, I tilted my head to meet his gaze and said, "Hi, Oshiro-san, what can I do for you?"

I decided my lying skills were getting better or Takashi was as clueless as I thought, for his smile got even bigger if possible and his eyes seemed to dance even more. "Well, Yamamoto-san I actually came over here to ask you something."

"Oh," I said my curiosity winning over my annoyance, "what is that?" I turned to fully face him, while leaning against my closed locker.

I then noticed a slight change to his eyes; they seemed to lose some of their happiness and gained a look of nervousness. He also stood up from his leaning position against the lockers, his smile leaving his face, and ran his hand through his shaggy chin length almond colored hair, getting it out of his eyes. "Well, umm you see…we have our first soccer game on Saturday." Again, the hand came up to run through his hair. "I, umm, was wondering if you, umm, yeah, wanted to come and watch. Maybe we could, umm, get something to eat afterwards."

I stood there stunned, he actually asked me out for a second time. I figured with me refusing last time he would never have the guts to ask me out a second time. I thought I had made it quite clear that I wasn't interested in him like that at all. I know for a fact I tried not to lead him on, but I also wasn't bitchy enough to tell him to get lost.

I sucked in a breath, trying to gather my thoughts on how to refuse him nicely; I also noticed we had grabbed the attention of some of the students lingering in the hallway. I looked down at my feet in embarrassment. Quickly I organized my thoughts and moved my gaze up from my feet and over his six-foot lean muscular frame. Meeting his eyes I completely lost my resolve, for they held such hope that I would accept and slight fear that I would reject him again. _What can one date hurt?_ I sighed in my head before giving in. "Sure Oshiro-san, where it is and what time?"

I swear I got blinded by the smile that lit up his face. He reached down and actually picked me up off my feet and gave me a bone crushing hug. "Gah…Oshiro-san…can't…breathe." I whizzed between gasps.

"Sorry, sorry," he said as he let me down and made sure I wasn't going to fall over before letting go completely.

I had to lean my back against the lockers, while placing my right hand to my chest, as I took in huge gulps of air. While I was doing this I noticed that the few people who had paid attention to our little talk were now smiling and whispering to each other, a few of the braver boys where patting Takashi on the back and congratulating him on getting me to agree. Just as they left and I had finally got my air back I asked in a raspy voice, "So, Oshiro-san are you going to tell me where and when?"

He blinked his eyes a couple of times confused, before understanding dawned in them, "Oh yes, it will be at Shibuya Park at one o'clock on Saturday." He raised his hand to the back of his head scratching it in a sheepish way, that I found quite cute, he then stuttered out, "If you could maybe…show up there about five minutes early…I can, umm, greet you at the entrance and show you to your spot. We can even stop at the snack bar and…I can pay for…whatever you want to have…during the game."

I never realized Takashi could be so shy. The first time he asked me out he had been so confident and sure that I would say yes, that it was quiet easy for me to tell him I had other plans, when in fact I really didn't. Now it seemed his personality had taken a complete 180 and I was the one left dazed and confused. "You don't have to do that Oshiro-san. I don't mind you showing me to my seat, but I can get my own snacks, I don't want you thinking I am trying to mooch off of you." I felt my cheeks heat up and glanced down at my feet, my eye-catching my watch in the process.

I completely forgot my embarrassment as I saw I was five minutes late on getting to Mai's classroom. I looked up to find most of the students were now gone and there were only a few people hanging around and they most likely belonged to clubs. My eyes landed on Takashi as he spoke, "No it's fine Yamamoto-san I can get them really. Umm, you can call me Takashi-kun now." At my look he backpedaled, waving his hands in the air, "Or if that is too soon you can use san."

I pulled up my fake smile and said, "I will just call you Takashi-san for now. You can call me Azumi-san; if it will make you feel more comfortable." Glancing at my watch again, I looked back up at him and said, "I hate to cut this short, but I was supposed to meet my friends five minutes ago. Knowing my luck they have either taken off without me or they are looking for me."

"Oh, sure that's fine; I should probably get home anyways," he stated as he turned away from me with a wave and walked the opposite direction. He then stopped and glanced over his shoulder, "I will see you Saturday at 1, and remember to show up five minutes early."

I smiled and answered, "Yep, see you then."

He grinned and continued walking. My smile fell and I hastily made my way to the stairs mumbling to myself, _what have you gotten yourself into this time,__Azumi? It's not like you feel anything but annoyed by him, so why did you agree? It couldn't be because of his eyes, there is no way. You have seen way better puppy eyes than that and have turned them all down. Maybe it's because you are feeling lonely now and you have gotten over your grief of your grandparents dying. That's it._ I didn't realize I had walked down the stairs and all the way to Mai's classroom until I opened the door and was abruptly thrown from my thoughts by the loud argument going on inside.

Sliding the door open I noticed right away the normally quiet and shy Keiko, who stood about an inch taller than me, had her red angry face in Michiru's screaming, "No, we need to go to the girls' locker room in the gym. Nobody would think to look there and it is more private than some of the other rooms." Her brown pigtails were bouncing with her head movements.

Michiru never stood down from an argument and since she was a good two inches taller than Keiko she had leaned over her a little, making her black shoulder length hair swing back and forth. She let Keiko know how she felt, "We can't use the girls' locker room now because the girls' basketball team is in the gym practicing. Besides we have been there before and got nothing, I suggest we go to the theater room. It would be fun and spooky to tell ghost stories up on the stage and we don't have to worry about anybody finding us because there are no plays going on."

I gave a sigh of frustration at the pair, I knew Michiru was right about the gym for the simple fact that she is the head of the volleyball team and she was right about having already been there. I didn't want to tell her that we had already done the theater, but I was sure if I didn't somebody else will. That didn't leave us much of a choice and I started wracking my brain, trying to figure out where we could go. Still not seeing Mai I scanned the room as I thought and found her sitting at her desk as the two girls fought over the top of her. Her face was one of confusion and panic. I knew Mai didn't really like it when people argued. She also knew it was just a part of life, but I could tell she was about to reach her peak with these two.

I smirked and decided to interrupt their argument, since none of them had noticed my entrance to the room. Bringing my pointer finger and thumb of my right hand up to my mouth I blew as hard as I could. The whistle that filled the room and echoed down the hallway sounded like nails on a chalkboard put on speaker. All three girls jumped, Mai grabbed her heart like she was going to die, Michiru almost fell over, and poor Keiko's face had drained of all color and she had to sit down in the chair behind her.

"Azumi-chan did you have to scare us to death," Mai growled at me, along with a glare that would make Satan proud.

"Azumi-chan," Keiko whined from her spot on the chair, giving me the puppy dog look with her big soft brown eyes.

Michiru righted herself and stomped her way over to me and smacked my shoulder. I grabbed it and said, "Hey, owe, what was that for!" While looking at her with what I hoped was a hurt expression.

"That was for making me almost have a heart attack and concussion. Now where have you been?" She leveled me with a hard stare and I moved my eyes to the floor.

_Oh look there is a crack in the floor, _I thought to myself, not wanting to discuss my upcoming date with Takashi. It didn't work, for Mai knew all of my tricks for getting out of talking about something I didn't want to. I heard her chair scrap across the tiled floor followed by the small tap of her shoes coming toward me. Soon black loafers where in my line of vision and I couldn't stop myself from bring my gaze up to hers. Her eyes were intently studying my face and a contemplative look took over before she asked, "So Azumi-chan what was keeping you? I know it couldn't be something school related. Is it maybe boy related?"

At that last question I felt my cheeks warm up and Mai gave me a triumphant look. Knowing there was no way out of this I found the chalk board quite interesting as I mumbled under my breath, "TakashisanaskedmeoutandIsaidyes."

"What was that Azumi-chan, I can't hear you?" Mai put a hand up to her ear and tilted her head towards me.

Keiko, having regained herself had also joined our group and I could see her and Michiru leaning forward with curiosity shining brightly in their eyes. "Ugh!" I said, frustrated. Then raising my voice and enunciating my words so I wouldn't have to repeat it again I said, "Takashi-san asked me out and I said yes!" With a big breath I said a little softer, "You happy now?"

Mai had dropped her hand at that statement and all three of them had stunned looks on their faces. Then they all broke into wide grins, but Mai's had a more triumphant look then Keiko's or Michiru's.

"Oh Azumi-chan I am so happy for you," Keiko squealed while clapping her hands together.

"Yeah Oshiro-san is a hunk I could never figure out why you turned him down the first time," Michiru said while flipping her hair and giving me a whatever look.

I groaned and put my hand up to my face and rubbed it giving all of them death glares. Mai just gave me a big smile and mouthed, 'talk later.' I groaned again. Wanting the subject off of my date and me I asked, "I figured you guys would be gone already. What's the hold up?"

At this Keiko and Michiru seemed to forget all about my date and shot each other death glares, before turning to me and saying at the same time, "We can't agree on a place."

"I would have never guessed," I sarcastically replied as I shot a smirk at Mai.

"Well," Mai interrupted before Keiko and Michiru could get on me about the sarcasm, "we could always just do it in here."

"No," the three of us shouted at the same time startling Mai.

"Fine, what do you think then?" Mai said with a huff as she crossed her arms and looked away from us.

I then remembered seeing Shibata-san with the audiovisual equipment. Snapping my fingers I blurted out, "How about the Audiovisual Room?"

Keiko and Michiru sent me twin looks of realization that we had never been there, they then started to nod their heads up and down. I almost laughed at how much they resembled those bobble head dolls. I snorted at their antics, before I turned to see if Mai was paying attention to us now. She had turned to once again face us and a big grin was on her face.

"That sounds great. Let's get going then," she exclaimed before grabbing her bag and heading out.

I quickly followed her, catching up to her at the door. I heard Keiko and Michiru both yell, "Wait for us!" as they got their things together and ran after us.

We made it to the Audiovisual Room fairly quickly and pulled four chairs up into a circle. It was quite dark in this room as all the windows had coverings so you would be able to watch videos easier. We all had our pen-lights out and it gave it a more spooky feel. I glanced around at all the illuminated faces and asked, "Who is going first?"

"Let's do rock, paper, scissors, to decide the order." Mai piped up.

We all nodded our heads in agreement. We stuck out our hands in the middle of our circle and all chimed at the same time, "Rock, paper, scissors!"

"Ahh, dang it," I grumbled as I had done scissors and everybody else had done rock. That meant I had to go first.

"Rock, paper, scissors!" sounded out again from the other three.

Keiko ended up being after me, then Mai, and last Michiru. "Alright all of you get comfortable and get ready to be scared," I drew out in as creepy of a voice I could muster.

"Oh please don't use that voice for your story," Keiko complained, grabbing on the nearest object to her, which was Mai.

I placed the light underneath my chin and shot what I hoped was a creepy smile at Keiko. It must have worked for she cringed and looked away from me. Smiling wider I then started my story.

"It was a dark and stormy night and three friends had decided to have a slumber party at one of their houses. Since they couldn't go outside and play 'til the sun went down, they had started a game of truth or dare. The smallest of the bunch had just been asked if she wanted truth or a dare. Feeling that she needed to prove herself she went with dare. The tallest girl out of the bunch dared her to go into the bathroom with the lights off and the door closed. She then had to chant Bloody Mary three times while looking into the mirror. The girl didn't want to do it, but seeing she couldn't back out and not be called chicken she walked into the bathroom and closed the door. Walking up to the mirror she cautiously brought her gaze up to it and said in a quivering voice, 'Bloody Mary'. A faint red glow started to emit from the mirror."

I heard Keiko gasp and the shuffling of her clothes as she seemed to fidget in her seat. I smiled with what I hoped was another creepy smile as I continued with my story, "Taking a step back the girl said again, 'Bloody Mary'. The red glow intensified and a figure started to appear in the center."

"Oh no," I heard Keiko whisper and I felt my grin grow bigger.

"Now becoming scared the girl took a greater step back and felt her back come in contact with the wall. She really didn't want to finish her chant, but her fear of being made fun of gave her the courage to say it again and in a small whisper she chanted, 'Bloody Mary'. What happened next? Nobody knows as a blood curdling scream sounded out of the bathroom and when her friends got the door open they saw their friend sprawled out on the floor in a pool of blood, which had come from her slit throat."

I turned off my light as soon I ended my story and I heard Keiko give a gasp of surprise at the sudden loss of light. "Azumi-chan, why do you have to do the creepy faces when you tell your ghost stories? It always scares me." I saw her shiver in her chair.

"Keiko-chan I sometimes wonder why you come to these things. You get scared so easily, are you a thrill seeker?" I asked putting mischief into my voice.

"No!" Keiko shrieked, her cheeks stained red from her outburst.

I just chuckled and leaned back in my chair saying, "Okay, okay I get it. I was only teasing; now hurry up with your story so we can go home."

Keiko glared at my nonchalance before settling down and beginning her story. I only heard half of her story and Mai's, for my thoughts hand wandered. First I had thought of the math homework I had facing me and how long it would take to finish it. I almost groaned out loud, but somehow caught myself in time.

My thoughts then wandered to my date with Takashi and I hopped that something would come up and I could get out of it. I wasn't looking forward to it at all. I knew Takashi would try to coddle me and do everything in his power to make sure I was comfortable and honestly I hate guys like that. I didn't mind if they acted like gentlemen by opening a door every once in a while, but constant fussing drove me insane. I had taken care of myself for almost two years now and needed no such fussing. Of course not many people knew that. Mai was one of them and of course Keiko and Michiru, besides them it was the school, Aimi, and her husband. I didn't like broadcasting about being an orphan and neither did Mai, but if anybody asked us point-blank about our parents we wouldn't lie about it either.

Then my traitorous thoughts went to the guy I had bumped into earlier. It wasn't the first time I had thought about him today and I just knew something was going to happen with him and soon. I was just going over what Aimi said about our school principal coming out of their office when I heard Mai say, "Michiru, it's your turn."

Getting ready to tune the story out, for Michiru was just as bad as Keiko in telling ghost stories, my attention became peaked when she said, "Ok…I'll tell the story about the old school building…"

"What?" I said sitting up quickly in my chair and leaning forward.

Mai startled a little and looked at me for a minute before turning back to Michiru and asking, "Do you mean that wooden building that's half falling apart?"

Michiru had leaned forward into our circle and started whispering like it was a conspiracy, "It's not just falling apart. The building was supposed to have been destroyed, but they had to stop the demolition process halfway through, because of a curse. When they tried to demolish the west wall the roof fell through the second floor and everyone on the first floor was killed."

I gasped and then leaning in toward Michiru. I lowered my voice and said, "I heard that there are frequent fires and accidents."

Michiru gave me a puzzled look, but her attention turned to Keiko, who I saw out of the corner of my eye lean in too and also in a shaky low whisper said, "I heard that a student died there and a teacher committed suicide."

I felt a shiver go down my spine and I shook my whole body to get rid of it. Then Mai joined in and whispered, "I was told that a child's dead body had been found inside the entrance."

"Okay, that one sounds a little farfetched," I stated, glaring at Mai and she just shrugged her shoulders as if to say whatever.

Michiru flashed her pen-light to get back our attention and still in a whisper said, "I don't know if all of those rumors are true, but I do know these are. When the new school building was built, they tried to completely demolish the old building again, but many of the demolition workers became sick or got in accidents. Their equipment also broke down forcing them to stop the demolition."

I shook my head as I leaned once again back in my chair and said, "Is that all?"

"No," Michiru glared at me, before continuing, "Last year they tried to restart when the gymnasium was being built, but they had to stop in the middle because the same kind of incidents started happening again. Then a driver lost control of his truck and it ran over some students that were on the volleyball court."

"If that happened wouldn't they have put something in the paper," I stated now sitting upright in my chair once again.

This time Michiru sent me a death glare and snapped, "Shut up and let me finish."

I glared back and then waved my hand for her to continue looking out into the darkness of the room. I heard her huff before she continued, "Then on one evening, when my Sempai was passing the old building, she looked up into one of the windows and saw the apparition of a student in the second story window."

I heard Mai and Keiko gasp in surprise, I just snorted. I had walked by that building almost every day and night, before and after school, and not once had I seen any sort of thing. I didn't believe that last one, but she might have something on the other ones.

"Okay I am done, I'll turn it off." With that Michiru's light clicked off and we were left in complete darkness.

I heard Keiko give out a small squeak in fear and decided to end this so I could go home. "One."

"Two," Keiko shakily whispered.

"Three," Mai's voice sounded confident and not scared at all.

"Four," Michiru stated softly.

We sat in tense silence waiting for a few minutes. Seeing as nothing was happening I started to get up from my chair when a deep smooth voice that didn't belong to any of us said, "Five."

_**Authors Note:** I would like to thank you guys for being patient with me. Here is the second chapter and I would like to thank RaisedOnRadio for being my beta reader on this story. She has done an excellent job and I did fix somethings in my first chapter, so feel free to reread it if you want. It wasn't a lot of changes that will effect this second chapter, so you don't have to. I also want to thank missavatar1470 for her review. I would of sent you a pm but you have it disabled so I am thanking you here. I would also like to thank everybody that favorited or followed this story. It makes me happy, but I would also like you to review so I know what you like and dislikes. On this note I will not be updating this story for all of November as I am starting a new story that I will be working on for NANO. For those of you who don't know that is National Novel Writing Month. I will be doing my new story and aiming for that 50,000 word count to win a prize. After November I will try to update on this story as soon as I can. Again thank you for your patients and I hope you enjoy. _


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